When Expectations Are Not Clear!

Introduction

There were two incidents, which inspired me to write this write-up, "When Expectations are not clear". Sometime back, I had this interaction with a CEO of one of the most famous company in Bangalore, in his words, "it is impossible to give clear-cut job responsibilities and job specifications to an employee". Second incident was an e-mail from one of my friend from Noida, stating, "Sanjeev, I expected a lot from you but you failed". Well, having expectations are important and equally important is to communicate it properly.

Why Expectations?

Before I start expecting anything from others, I must be clear as what I am expecting from myself. Those, who have no expectations from themselves, have no right to expect anything from others. So, just ask your self:

- What are your expectations from yourself?

- Where do you see yourself in next 5-7 yrs?

- How you wish to be remembered by your family members, your friends, your sub-ordinates and your colleagues?

Expectations in Relations

Imagine, if you don't know, what are the expectations of:

- Your parents
- Your Children
- Your gurus/teachers/faculties
- Your Students
- Your Spouse

Your Friends, family members and people around you Don't presume things? Don't think that everybody knows everything? If there are no expectations, there will be no challenge, no passion, no motivation, nothing. That is where, I mentioned, that "Silence is a crime"

Expectations in Profession/work-place

- How often do you appraise your employees/team-members?
- What are your expectations from your employees/team-members?
- What are the parameters to measure their performance?
- Have you communicated to them?
- What will be the consequences, if they fail?
- What will be the rewards, if they exceed the expected level?

If you are not having any expectations, how you are going to appraise, your employees? Yes, you are going to be biased, because you don't have set standards. The role of a CEO, HR Manager is like a director of a movie; choreographer of a stage show, where there is a defined role for each character, each participant.

Setting expectations initiates the process. Managers need to sit down with each employee and clearly define what's expected of them. Management consultant, Kenneth Philips, states that when expectations are not clear, employees may not be in sync with their job's current demands and priorities. Setting expectations is not a once and done activity. Jobs change.

Priorities change. Resources change. Managers need to revise and set new expectations throughout the year. Setting expectations revolves around the following three areas:

1. Key job responsibilities
2. Performance factors and standards
3. Goals

Why is a setting expectation important? Quite simply, this process can be the cornerstone of improving the motivational climate within your sphere of responsibility. If your employees know what is expected of them, it allows them to focus on results and to monitor themselves against the set standards. Environments in which expectations are not clear, or change from week to week, seldom create high-performing work groups.

Three Principles that Drive Expectations

The three principles that should drive expectations are clarity, relevance, and simplicity.

1. Clarity

Expectations should focus on outcomes, not activities. In other words, you achieve clarity when you identify the expected results rather than the method for achieving them. Managers often make the mistake of attempting to direct the process that an employee will use rather than being clear about results. The advantage of identifying the outcome is that you, the manager, focus only on the goal; after all, the employee will develop the method for achieving the desired results.

Defining the objective often requires some thought on the part of the manager because it is easy to fall into the "activities trap." While developing a strategic plan for a department or division is a worthy activity, it does not represent an outcome. In the activities trap, developing a plan is the goal, rather than increasing your market share.

2. Relevance

The principle of relevance helps define the "why" of the assignment. If your employees have a full understanding of the project's importance, they can make adjustments as unanticipated factors crop up within the process. They probably also will be more committed to the result because they can see more easily how it fits into the big picture and how their efforts impact the company.

This understanding typically is accomplished through dialogue between the manager and subordinate, which allows for a more thorough review of the situation and for feedback and discussion. This process builds good will with the employee and sets the stage for additional responsibilities.

3. Simplicity.

Simplicity creates a sense of grounding for employees as they endeavor to carry out assignments. If managers identify the work in simple, straightforward terms, employees will find it much easier to follow through on managers' wishes. To accomplish this, a manager must identify the key message in a fashion that the employee can embrace.

Now What?

After setting expectations, the manager should maintain a level of discipline and consistency that can be applied in all situations. The next steps involve monitoring, providing feedback, and, finally, either rewards or consequences depending on the level of achievement. This four-step model can be applied in most managerial situations that involve goal achievement.

1. Monitoring

Monitoring is the follow-up that the manager provides after expectations have been set. It can take many forms, from a formal status-review meeting to a casual conversation in the hallway.

Regardless of the form, monitoring is the component that indicates that the project or assignment is important to you as a manager and that you are keenly interested in its outcome. It enables you to assess the progress and assist if unexpected roadblocks emerge.

2. Feedback

Feedback is the process of coaching subordinates as they complete their goals.

During this time it is important to focus on progress, any additional resources that may be required to meet the timeline, and the subordinate's view of the project. It is key to allow employees to debrief their experience during this phase. As the manager, you will be in a better position to evaluate not only their progress on this project, but also what future assignments they may be able to undertake.

3. Rewards and Consequences

The reward or consequences phase involves either positive or negative reinforcement, depending on the outcome and the process.

Certainly, you want to reward a positive outcome. Rewards can take a number of forms, but regardless of the type, they should be timely, specific, and relevant to the employee. Consequences also should be timely and specific while focusing on how the employee can improve performance. While giving negative feedback often is uncomfortable for many managers, on-the-job behavior is shaped by both circumstances and consequences. If there is no downside to poor performance, it is difficult for managers to raise the performance bar for any of their subordinates.

This approach has the advantage of simplicity and-if consistently followed-will yield results for managers as they try to do more with less. While it may appear time-consuming at first glance, the alternatives create more rework and missed deadlines and often are far more expensive in time and resources.

Conclusion

Having expectations, Setting expectations is important and equally important is to communicate them. If you are having expectations, you are having parameters to measure those expectations, you are the judge, you appraised the person, but you failed to communicate to that person, what is the use of such expectations?

Have expectations from your self. Have Expectations from people around you. Incase of self-expectations, write it properly, and incase of having expectations from others, communicate it properly. Just because, we are not having clear-cut expectations, we are having high-attrition rate at corporate level and broken families at personal level. True, I may fail. I may not be able to live up-to the level of your expectations but then I will know the margin of failure.

Looking forward to your comments and feedback Have a great time and yes, pleaseee pleaseee do take care of your good self.

Regards,

Sanjeev Sharma
Pune-India
Mobile: +91-9890788259
E-mail: ss_himachali@yahoo.com; s070976@yahoo.co.in
Blog: http://sanjeevhimachali.blogspot.com

---

Reaching for the Goal

Can goals be easily reached? This question is in most of our minds. Some tend to think that goals are hard to achieve and that only very... Read More

The Future: Help is Available

How important do you believe it is to think about and visualize your future life?How important would it be to you if your cab driver wandered all... Read More

How To STAY on TARGET with Your BUSINESS Plans

Set your GOALS - write them down! Most of us have specific ideas and plans for achievements over time ~ and that is a GOOD thing for... Read More

How to Keep Your Focus on Your Home Business Goals

As you begin your new home business you will find there will be hundreds of distractions that will fight for your time and attention.If you are new... Read More

If Wishes Were Horses Then Beggars Would Ride!

And if Bull frogs had wings they wouldn't bump their little rear-end when they landed. Don't make the mistake of thinking that rushing all over the place... Read More

Hustle While You Wait

Everything comes to those who hustle while they wait -Thomas EdisonThomas A. Edison was one of the most prolific inventors of all time. His inventions continue to... Read More

Fear Factor

Is it possible for an individual to pass a course of instruction with high marks and remain ineffective?Is it possible that this person never actually learned anything,... Read More

Actual Achievement Part 1

Sport is an excellent medium in which to explore the mechanics of achievement. My own background is in Whitewater Canoe Slalom, which requires power and technique in... Read More

Hearing and Seeing Your Destiny

As a child, I read an autobiography of Annie Sullivan. She was the woman who brought Helen Keller out of her dark and silent world and into... Read More

Writing a Mission and Vision Statement

Last year, I attended a seminar where the attendees were asked to define their personal mission or purpose in one sentence. Out of about a group of... Read More

Set Positive Goals And Strive To Achieve Them

On 31st January 2005, two students from my martial arts school took tests to gain important qualifications in the modern martial art of Choikwangdo.Choikwangdo is a martial... Read More

Broken Sleep

For the past several weeks, I have not been sleeping well. I've been waking up after 4 or 5 hours, tossing and turning for the rest of... Read More

Keep a Dream Journal: Why Bother?

Want a key to unlock your inner wisdom? Try keeping a dream journal.Experts believe that our nighttime dreams deal with concerns, worries, or events that we experience... Read More

Action Achieves Goals - Talk Is Cheap

It is very easy and a lot of fun to talk about dreams and goals and a great future. Achieving these dreams is not so easy as... Read More

Treasure Map Your Next Success

Treasure Map Your Success for 2005Treasure-mapping is the process of visualizing on paper exactly what you want. The clearer you can see your desired future as a... Read More

Whats Perfect About Imperfection?

Let me try something new but please, please, please, let me do it right and well the first time. If we always do things well, always do... Read More

How Being Intentional Makes You Happy

"Inspiration does not beget action. Action begets inspiration." - Chinese ProverbThis proverb succinctly sums up the power of intention. Nothing happens, nothing changes without intended action.An intention... Read More

Achieve Your Goals: Embodying Your Intentions to Inspire Manifestation

Bringing life to your ideas is what helps them to manifest in the material world. Embodying your intentions, feeling it all the way through your physical body,... Read More

Decide and Declare!

Did you start off the new year with goals and plans? Are you achieving everything you set out to do? Feel invigorated by your new life?If you... Read More

Planning Ahead Of Everyone Else To Win

What does it take to plan like a champion?Well lets take a look into our minds a little bit to answer this question.OK, I need you to... Read More

Working on Your Groove

We all come to a point in our lives, like in the movie "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" that we lose sight of who we are.... Read More

Six Keys To Build Vision - Point Five

5.Submit it to good leaders (accountability breeds stability and security)· Vision is always too much for one man / woman to handle (bodyOne of the key reasons... Read More

Setting Goals and Achieving Them

Whatever you want in life, you have far more chance of achieving it if you set a clear goal, written down, with a definite time scale.For example,... Read More

Achieve Your Goals By Eating The Frog And The Elephant

Brian Tracy, the great motivational guru, often suggests that people do their most important and toughest task at the start of the day. They must 'eat the... Read More

The Psychology Of Success

Everybody has a dream. A fantasy, if you like. Usually it takes the form of something we would like to have, or something we would like to... Read More

Forming Effective Habits Leads To Success

You had your new years resolution all set. You knew exactly what you needed to do, maybe you even got off to a fantastic start. Then suddenly... Read More